Stokley said if the band's tour takes them halfway across the world during next July it would prove to be a challenge. But some bands do make the flight back.

"Aerosmith, they were over and played Russia, had five days off and then came to us in Sarnia," she said. "And they loved it here. They hated it in Russia."

Plans for next year's festival are progressing quickly. Booking agents have been contacting Stokley about securing a space on the bill, something that usually doesn't happen until late September or October. And it's usually the Stokleys trying to arrange meetings, not the other way around.

"With a lot of the big bands there are only a handful of (agents) and we've worked with them all. They know our reputation and how their band is going to be treated," she said.

Good reviews have also helped Bayfest boost its drawing power. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler loved the Bayfest show and Sarnia so much his assistant phoned to rave about it, she said.

"I asked, 'Does he do this all the time?' and they said, 'No, never.'" Over nearly four decades

AC/DC has courted controversy. Their lyrics, often laced with references to hell and the devil, have angered the Christian right. Stokley said a little controversy didn't hurt last summer's show, alluding to Sarnia Coun. David Boushy's attempt to have Motley Crue banned from performing in Centennial Park.

"With Motley Crue, we got more press than we ever had," she said. "The band themselves enjoyed it."

Stokley said she's fielding calls and e-mails from diehard Bayfest fans with band requests.

"We're thinking big," she said. "We're going to keep it mixed up again with the country and the rock and something targeting the younger audience. That works very well."